A shepherd knows his sheep… a rancher knows his business. There is a reason God uses the picture of a shepherd to describe the way he leads, cares, and provides for us; and there is a reason he uses the same picture to describe how we are to lead others.
Healthy leadership functions in the realm of relationships. Always. When we adopt the more popular western culture forms of leadership, we may build something bigger and faster – yet miss the point entirely.
Over the years, I have seen many pastors operate more like a rancher than a shepherd. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing because of the leadership and administrative aspects of pastoring. Don’t get me wrong. Vision casting is a wonderful and necessary thing for the life of a church. Financial Planning and budgeting are essential. Strategic mobilization of volunteers is needed. But what if that is all we do? What if this serves as a distraction and our entire pastoral ministry is marked by being a rancher than a shepherd?
When we read the 23rd Psalm we see the life of the shepherd and come to understand more and more what he cares about and what he does with his time. Some might see this as mundane, boring, frustrating, tiring – with lack of visible reward. The true shepherd does not see it that way.
The rancher has “greater concerns” – how big, how many, how fast, how profitable, etc. This is not bad… if you are a rancher. But if you are a shepherd you will need to know your sheep by name, lead them – even through “the valley of the shadow of death” and be available when they need you. “My sheep hear my voice. I know them. And they follow me.” Through the millennia of shepherding – this has not changed. In contrast, the modern-day rancher might be seen observing his herd from an aircraft and then radioing in and delegating assignments.
Here is the challenge: Healthy churches grow. They should grow. They grow in God’s time and in God’s way, but they will grow. So, when do we go from “shepherding the flock of God” to herding cattle? I don’t think that is an easy question to answer; but I believe it is one we must wrestle with if we want to be the right kind of pastors and spiritual leaders.
Pastor, do you know your sheep?
